Irvine, Calif., March 16, 2016 — The University of California, Irvine’s School of Education continued its impressive rise in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of the nation’s graduate school programs, moving up six slots to 25th on the 2017 list, released today.

UC regents voted to establish UCI’s education school in July 2012, giving statewide recognition to the degree programs begun in 1967 under the Office of Teacher Education. Interim Dean Mark Warschauer has led the school since founding Dean Deborah Vandell stepped down last year. Richard Arum, chair of New York University’s Department of Sociology, was recently hired as the new dean, effective June 30.

“We are very proud of our international leadership in educational research and practice,” Warschauer said. “Congratulations to our faculty, staff and students, who have contributed to our school’s growth from an initial ranking of 88th in 2007 to 25th in 2017.”

The Paul Merage School of Business jumped five spots, from 53rd to 48th, and its part-time MBA program was rated 36th. Dean Eric Spangenberg pointed to positive recruiter assessments as a large component in the school’s momentum.

“Throughout our programs,” he said, “we are on the right trajectory in very competitive spaces. Our graduates are evaluated very favorably by the marketplace, as we are among the top places to recruit talent in Southern California.”

In only its second year of eligibility to be ranked, UCI’s law school moved up two places to 28th. Additionally, the school scored in the top 12 for student diversity, 13th for its clinical training program, 23rd  for legal writing and 25th for its intellectual property law program. Last year, the school made its debut at 30th – the highest of any new law school in the history of the report.

“The U.S. News ranking, of course, is only one measure of the outstanding law school we have created,” said Dean Erwin Chemerinsky. “But I am delighted that we are 28th in only our second year, and I expect that to improve significantly in the years ahead.”

U.S. News & World Report’s graduate school ranking shows other UCI programs consistently among the nation’s top 50.

  • Claire Trevor School of the Arts, 33rd
  • The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, 37th
  • School of Medicine research program, 44th

Other UCI schools were not evaluated this year.

About the University of California, Irvine: Currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $4.8 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UC Irvine faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UC Irvine news, visit wp.communications.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.